Maintenance = Balance

Well to me "balance" in maintenance means the same as "effective" while also meeting the nutritional needs of my body. I have to stay at 12-1300 calories and try to do the 70 g protein and get in some veggies and fruits and dairy. So that means keeping the carbs pretty dang low. No way to get those other things in while staying within calorie limits. its just what i gotta live with.

I imagine that some patients who talk about a more balance plan mean somewhat less protein and somewhat more carbs. So be it. My plan works for me and has kept off 100% of my excess weight for nearly 3 years. so i will keep my "balance"

diane

I am still about 40 lbs from goal and 8 1/2 months post op.....but the main board is driving me so crazy I have considered not coming on OH any more.

But what I need is to find awesome HELPFUL threads like this one. Thanks for getting this conversation started, Frisco, and thanks to all of you who commented.

Whew - I needed some help more than I realized.

Annie

I was on the maint board from nearly pre-op, lurking at first, then posting from time to time.. once you learn the ins and outs, the main board can get to be a bit of work, and not always helpful.. it seems the deeper and life-long issues/plans/strategies and challenges can be chatted about here a bit more constructively. 

Nobody would be very surprised if I said that I agree with Frisco on this one.  :)  And yes, I do whole heartedly agree.  I was not looking for balance in weight loss, I was looking to be in the top 10% of patients that lose 100% of their EW and for me that meant going hard at my program.  It worked and worked beautifully.  Now that I am in maintenance, balance has come back into my vocabulary and I strive to maintain a more balanced diet that still is heavier on protein than most and lighter on carbs but it allows me to have the flexibility that I need long term.  If/when I am out of my comfort weight window, the "balance" goes out the window too.  I go right back to my very unbalanced, very effective weight loss mode and I intend to live this way forever.  It works for me.

If I knew how to have a balanced approach I (a) wouldn't have been 125 lbs over weight and (b) wouldn't have needed WLS 

I agree with some of the points made here - we each need to find a balance point where we're somewhat stable.  Especially in maintenance. I'm not sure what point balance serves during the weight loss phase as it is temporary.

I would also think that one would at least start from a "balance point" that a fair number of others have found successful and modify from there.  That was my approach. I looked at my surgeon's recommendations - which were totally compatible with the general "vet" approach here, and adopted them.

Now I experiment a little around the edges.  Am a I a less than 40g person, or can it be closer to 100g?

Maintenance, for me, is where finding the balance point is really important. But that may be different from what these other folks mean by "balance."  I'm guessing they mean eating cake.

I'm not opposed to cake, but that isn't about "balance" for me.  Those sorts of things are going to be what will knock me out of balance. I may still choose to have them, but I will have to recognize they are the "unbalancers" for me.

It is always interesting to read words written by others that could have come from my own head.  I agree with every single point you made and I would guess that this is not a huge surprise to you.  :)

Thank you for sparking this discussion!  I'm only 5 weeks post-op, but have been lurking on this forum since 6 months pre-op.  It has been beyond helpful in how I think, manage and DO!  Thank you all!

I really enjoyed the responses to my post....... how refreshing to be among experience !!!

Made me really think about "balance" in the bigger picture......

Although this may not be true for all..... but for me after thinking about it more after reading the responses......

If I'm eating enjoyable  foods and my nutrition is in check and my weight is balanced/stable........I'm much more mentally balanced (food and weight)

For me that overlaps into other aspects of my life......

frisco

For me, after 14 months at goal and years of trying to get here, balanced is eating foods I know to be healthy, in reasonable amounts and enjoying the occasional treat.

I don't have any items that are on the NEVER list, but I do have quite a few that are on the RARE list and many more that only rate the OCCASIONAL list. 

And to me balanced is also about what is on the FREQUENT list: lean protein, vegetables, low fat dairy, fresh fruit, whole grains, and healthy fats.

Balance for me includes weighing every morning. Like Elena and probably many other successful sleevers, I have a weight range and I toss out the extras when I reach the top until I am at a comfortable weight.  

Lynda